Chapter 2584: Mad

Boom!

The majestic Dan Shen Xian Shan instantly collapsed, countless precious immortal materials turning to ash. Its excellent terrain was flattened by a single palm, its foundations exposed, and radiant energies burst forth. All the accumulations of endless years vanished into the heavens and earth in a flash.

At the same time, a layer of dark halo spread out infinitely from Dan Shen Xian Shan, covering the eight directions.

"Retreat!"

Shrieks of alarm rose one after another.

The halo was overwhelmingly powerful, inverting the universe wherever it passed and shattering space inch by inch. Immortal mountains toppled one after another; palaces exploded one by one. Countless alchemists of Dan Shen Dian perished as their souls scattered, and many more had their bodies turned to ash by the halo's impact.

"Gone mad, Dan Shen has gone mad."

Curses echoed from all sides. Dan Shen's single palm had destroyed heaven and earth, bringing disaster to too many, including nearby Xian Jun who were not spared. The entire Dan Shen Dian descended into chaos in an instant.

Amid the flying debris, Ye Chen shot up into the sky, gripping the Dinghai Shen Zhen, his figure battered and disheveled.

"Kill!"

Dan Shen roared, surging forward with overwhelming murderous aura. Every wisp of that aura descended like a mountain, crushing the universe, and many with weaker cultivation were pressed into puddles of blood.

Ye Chen was quick on his feet, leaping several times to land on a ruined mountain peak.

"You bastard."

The immortals in the vicinity of Ye Chen cursed loudly.

If you knew you were being chased, you'd run to a less crowded place! Why come here and stir things up? We're not afraid of you, but the one chasing you—Dan Shen in his frenzy—is a real terror.

Ye Chen ignored them, instantly appearing before Yue Xin and waving his hand to draw her into a precious pagoda.

Also drawn in were Si Ming, Tai Yi, and Tai Bai.

Since he was rebelling, he had to take them with him. With Dan Shen and Yin Ming's temperaments, if they couldn't catch him, they'd take their anger out on others. There's no way they'd let them go.

Boom!

Dan Shen arrived, delivering another earth-shattering palm. The massive palm print darkened the heavens, etched with ancient seal scripts—these were his Dao principles, each infused with world-ending power.

Ye Chen snorted coldly, his iron staff humming as it instantly grew to the size of a copper pillar, thrusting upward to support the sky.

Thud!

Dan Shen's palm print was pierced through with a bloody hole, forcing him to stagger back a step and crush a swath of void underfoot.

"So strong?"

The escaping Xian Jun watched in shock.

Dan Shen wasn't just any peak Zhun Di. For a minor Zhun Di like Ye Chen to make him retreat with one strike—that little stone spirit's combat power was terrifyingly formidable.

"Dan Shen has expended too much energy refining pills; he's not at his peak."

"And Ye Chen swallowed an emperor-level divine pill, gaining a power boost. It's just a case of one waning and the other waxing."

"Even so, it's still shocking."

The Xian Jun fled while muttering, keeping as far away as possible. The frenzied Dan Shen was too savage; getting too close would spell disaster, as evidenced by those whose bodies had already been destroyed.

"Capture him for me."

Dan Shen howled, staggering another step.

At his command, the elders of Dan Shen Dian rose into the sky, all Zhun Di, including those at the eighth and ninth levels.

Regardless of Dan Shen's nature, they absolutely couldn't let Ye Chen escape from Dan Shen Dian. He had swallowed an emperor-level divine pill and repeatedly provoked Dan Shen Dian—if they let him go, where would their face be?

"Suppress him."

The great elder of Dan Shen Dian thundered, wielding a divine seal and pressing down from above. As a peak Zhun Di and an alchemist, his combat power was overwhelming, and his innate divine seal was even more fearsome. Before it fully landed, the universe was already collapsing.

"Get lost!"

Ye Chen shouted coldly, swinging his staff to smash the divine seal away.

Thud!

With his innate weapon severely damaged, the great elder of Dan Shen Dian spat blood and was flung backward, his eyes filled with shock. He was a peak Zhun Di, yet defeated in one move. Had that Zhun Di first-level stone spirit activated some god-tier cheat?

"Exterminate!"

The second elder charged in, laying out heavenly array patterns to seal Ye Chen.

"Break!"

Ye Chen thrust his staff straight into the sky, stirring winds and clouds, shattering the flowing array patterns before they could fully form.

"Die!"

The third elder arrived, but awkwardly, before he could strike, he was met with a direct hit from Ye Chen's staff. The fourth elder fared no better; as soon as he unleashed his innate magical weapon, it was shattered by Ye Chen's staff. The most miserable was the fifth elder, who charged in fiercely only to be thrown out by Ye Chen's great monument-smashing hand, his body exploding.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Amid the thunderous roars, the scene in the void was utter chaos.

The so-called chaos referred to Ye Chen, who sent Dan Shen Dian elders flying with every swing of his staff. Each one that came forward was knocked down, with many exploding into blood mist that dyed the vast sky.

"Is this just swatting flies?"

Hao Tian Xian Jun's mouth twitched, staring in disbelief.

Those attacking Ye Chen were Zhun Di at least at the eighth level, yet he alone hammered them until they couldn't tell north from south. He'd seen fierce fighters, but never one as ferocious as Ye Chen, who was only at the first level of Zhun Di.

Hao Tian Xian Jun was certain that if he rushed in and took a hit, it would feel incredibly painful.

"Too strong."

"The future head of Hua Shan, the one acknowledged by the Dao Sutra, is no joke."

"He's just too dominant."

Not just Hao Tian Xian Jun—every immortal present swallowed hard in shock. Ye Chen's ferocity far exceeded expectations.

"Any who block me will die."

Ye Chen's shout rang out, shaking the heavens.

The tenth emperor of Da Chu truly had the momentum to swallow the eight directions, wielding the Dinghai Shen Zhen amid the vast sea of people, striking with wide swings. Every staff thrust brought forth billowing blood mist.

The strong of Dan Shen Dian were routed by him alone.

Thud!

Dan Shen spat blood again, his figure swaying. He hadn't even joined the fight, yet he teetered on the edge of falling from the void. He wasn't injured; it was all due to the exhaustion from refining the nine-pattern pill, plus recklessly using his power—or perhaps sheer anger harming his core.

"Master."

Dan Jun ascended and supported him.

"My child, have I treated you well?"

Dan Shen steadied himself, forcing a hint of warmth into his smile.

"A teacher for a day is a father for life. Your guidance, Master, I will never forget."

"Then help your master with something."

Dan Shen smiled and placed a palm on Dan Jun's Tianling Cap, where a black vortex manifested—a sinister immortal technique similar to the Swallowing Heaven Devil Art.

"Ah!"

Dan Jun's screams erupted, his entire cultivation, essence, origin, bloodline—everything—being forcibly devoured by Dan Shen. Once a vibrant person, he withered visibly, his face twisting in agony.

His screams drew attention from all directions.

"This..."

Seeing Dan Shen devouring Dan Jun, the immortals felt a chill in their hearts.

"Gone mad, Dan Shen has truly gone mad."

"He's his disciple! Like a son to him, yet he can still do this?"

"He's trying to restore his power through Dan Jun."

"But this is just too cruel."

The world's sighs and tsks filled the air.

Dan Jun's fate was tragic. Not only the immortals but even those from Dan Shen Dian instinctively retreated, staring in a daze. Who would have thought Dan Shen would devour his own disciple to regain strength? How heartless could he be?

"Gone mad, Dan Shen has gone mad."

The junior alchemists near Dan Shen trembled in fear, their eyes full of terror, as they turned and fled.

A cold light flashed in Dan Shen's eyes, the black vortex spreading and dragging the fleeing junior alchemists into it. Those with insufficient cultivation were devoured on the spot, turning into pure nourishment that merged into Dan Shen's body.

"Ah!"

Piercing screams spread across the eight directions.

In those moments, countless alchemists were swallowed by Dan Shen, the scene even more bloody than the chaos elsewhere.

"Master, I am your disciple! We are like father and son."

Dan Jun wept, still struggling, but bound tightly, his wails as eerie as a vengeful ghost's.

"I saved your life, and now you're returning it, settling a karmic debt."

Dan Shen said, devouring him even as a kindly smile remained on his face, like a benevolent elder.

As he devoured, his depleted power and essence rapidly replenished, all to restore his strength quickly and capture Ye Chen.

"I am your disciple!"

"I am your disciple!"

Dan Jun continued to wail, his eyes bulging with terror.

In that instant, something called faith crumbled along with his withering body, leaving it cold and lifeless.

Dan Shen was his faith.

For so many years, he had revered him as a god and treated him like a compassionate father.

But now, a father killing his child—such a mindset was more painful than death itself.

"Ah!"

Dan Jun cried out in despair, like a child who had lost his mother, unable to accept this cruel reality.

His mind had collapsed.

The immortals drew in cold breaths, retreating instinctively.

Perhaps Dan Jun's wails were too heart-wrenching, for even the Dan Shen Dian experts still attacking Ye Chen paused to look, stunned by the sight.

Not just them—even Ye Chen frowned.

Dan Shen had gone mad, his hair disheveled, laughing grotesquely, no longer resembling a human but a complete demon, casting aside all worldly ties.

"Senior brother, stop this at once."

Dan Zong roared, shooting over like a divine ray. Though chilled to the bone, he still clung to a sliver of hope, wanting to save Dan Jun's life.

"Get lost!"

Dan Shen snorted coldly, swatting Dan Zong away and sending the arriving elders flying with him.

Watching the elders soar through the air, Dan Jun wept.

In the moment before his annihilation, he shed tears again. His master wanted to kill him, but his uncles' actions gave him a pitiful trace of warmth in this cold world.

Bloody winds howled as he was completely buried in the black vortex.

He was dead, killed by his master. Once arrogant and domineering, he met a tragic end, evoking sighs from all.

Ye Chen watched quietly, his expression indifferent. A foe who wasn't even a match had perished in tragedy, leaving only desolation.

"Ah!"

Si Ming and the others in the Dan furnace sighed.

Now, Dan Shen looked utterly content, his snow-white hair turning strand by strand into blood-red, his scarlet eyes gleaming with savage demonic light, his surging demonic aura swallowing heaven and earth.

In this moment, he was no longer human but an outright demon.

"I will become an emperor."

With his power restored, Dan Shen turned to Ye Chen, his blood-red eyes nearly popping out, his desires driving him to madness, his anger pushing him to insanity.